When the temperatures get really hot, I love healthy cold salads for dinner. In Arizona, for instance, the summer temperatures range from 100-110 degrees. Although it's a dry heat, cold food tastes better. My cabbage Asian salad with carrot ginger dressing is refreshing and delicious. Loaded with cabbages and other fresh vegetables, cabbage Asian salad is tangy and a relief from the summer heat.
For this cabbage Asian salad, I chose both Napa and purple cabbage. Similar to lettuce, napa cabbage has the texture of lettuce and absorbs flavors like a sponge.
Purple cabbage, on the other hand, is similar to green cabbage, with a firmer texture.
So, if you prefer green cabbage, switching it out works just as well. I chose the purple or red cabbage because of its vibrant colors.
THE NUTRITIONAL BENEFITS OF EATING CABBAGE ASIAN SALAD
According to Healthline, even though cabbage is very low in calories, it has an impressive nutrient profile.
In fact, just 1 cup (89 grams) of raw green cabbage contains (2):
- Calories: 22
- Protein: 1 gram
- Fiber: 2 grams
- Vitamin K: 85% of the RDI
- Vitamin C: 54% of the RDI
- Folate: 10% of the RDI
- Manganese: 7% of the RDI
- Vitamin B6: 6% of the RDI
- Calcium: 4% of the RDI
- Potassium: 4% of the RDI
- Magnesium: 3% of the RDI
Cabbage also contains small amounts of other micronutrients, including vitamin A, iron, and riboflavin.
As you can see in the list above, it is rich in vitamin B6 and folate, both of which are essential for many important processes in the body, including energy metabolism and the nervous system's normal functioning.
Also, cabbage is high in fiber and contains powerful antioxidants, including polyphenols and sulfur compounds (2).
Antioxidants protect the body from damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are molecules that have an odd number of electrons, making them unstable. When their levels become too high, they can damage your cells.
Cabbage is especially high in vitamin C, a potent antioxidant that may protect against heart disease, certain cancers, and vision loss (3Trusted Source, 4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source).
CABBAGE ASIAN SALAD HAS SIMPLE, YET HEALTHY INGREDIENTS
Not only is cabbage Asian salad healthy, but it also has the colors of the rainbow. Eating various colored vegetables ensures you're getting enough fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and the like and help protect against illness, bone density loss, digestive problems, and weight management.
So, what's in this fabulous salad?
- Napa cabbage
- Purple (also called red) cabbage
- Carrots
- Green onions
- Red bell pepper
CABBAGE ASIAN SALAD WITH CARROT GINGER DRESSING
I'm a huge dressing, sauce person. Despite my love for raw and cooked vegetables, every dish needs a unique and fabulous dressing or sauce. Because I keep it healthy, I avoid cooking with any oils.
Instead, I try to create unique dressings from whole foods without adding oils, sugar, and other unhealthy ingredients.
One of my favorite dressings is Asian carrot ginger dressing. My husband and I love Asian food, so we often go out for vegan sushi, stir-fry wok restaurants, as well as Thai and other Japanese cuisines.
However, we have found that most of the restaurants we go to use a lot of fat and oil.
Even though many of our favorite restaurants accommodate my oil-free eating, I appreciate, it is still always healthier to make food at home.
For that reason, I decided to make my own version of carrot ginger dressing for my cabbage Asian salad.
WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE NEEDED FOR CARROT GINGER DRESSING?
- Carrots
- Fresh ginger
- White miso paste
- Apple cider vinegar
- Rice vinegar
- Water
- Salt
- Pepper
- Black forbidden rice or brown rice (optional)
- Sesame seeds (optional)
Another great aspect of making cabbage Asian salad is making it ahead of time. Very firm cabbage does not wilt and get soggy when dressed.
As a result, cabbage Asian salad can be made ahead of time and tossed in the dressing. In the end, the longer the salad has to marinate in the dressing, the deeper the flavors get.
So, the next time it's hot outside, and you want a refreshing salad with a fabulous healthy tangy dressing, make Cabbage Asian salad.
LOOKING FOR SUMMERY SALADS TO COMBAT THE SUMMER HEAT?
- Good Earth Kale Salad
- Fennel Salad with Oranges
- Green Bean Salad
- Grape Salad
- Vegan Cobb Salad
- Healthy Greek Pasta Salad
- Asparagus Salad
- Watermelon Cucumber Salad
- Spinach Strawberry Salad
📖 Recipe
Cabbage Asian Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
Cabbage Asian Salad
- 1 large Napa cabbage shredded
- ½ purple or red cabbage shredded
- 1 bunch green onions scallions chopped
- 2 red bell peppers sliced into thin strips
- 2 carrots shredded
- 2 cups cooked black or brown rice optional
Carrot Ginger Dressing
- 1 recipe carrot ginger dressing
- Black sesame seeds for garnish optional
Instructions
RICE (OPTIONAL)
- Prepare rice according to How to Prepare Brown Rice or the package instructions for brown or black rice.
- Allow rice to cool completely.
SALAD
- Cut all the vegetables and toss them together
- If using rice, add the COLD rice t the salad.
- Toss all the ingredients together.
CARROT GINGER DRESSING
- Prepare the dressing according to the attached recipe for carrot ginger dressing.
- Pour the dressing on the salad and toss well.
- Cover the salad and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Before serving, toss again, and add black sesame seeds.
Notes
Nutrition
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
Anonymous
JoAnne
Quick to put together, this fresh salad with crunch and topped with Kathy's Carrot Ginger Dressing is just right for a summer lunch or light dinner (maybe with tofu?). So good!
Anonymous